Chapter 372: Close Call
Chapter 372: Close Call
News of the three-headed dog roaming the restricted corridor on the fourth floor quickly spread among a small group of students. More students sneaked towards the restricted area, prompting Filch to increase his patrols to prevent unauthorized entries.
Albert occasionally overheard whispers about the three-headed dog, and even some Gryffindor students boasted about venturing into the forbidden corridor.
Of course, most students who dared to venture there were thwarted by Filch, who had stepped up his patrols. Anyone caught trying to enter was either chased away or brought to his office for a scolding.
Albert was in no rush to complete the "Trials of the Courageous" task, which involved navigating through a series of challenges to reach the Sorcerer's Stone.
But he wondered, was the Mirror of Erised, prepared by Dumbledore, part of the challenge as well? What if he faced the mirror only to find that it hadn't been placed yet and the stone was nowhere to be found? That would be embarrassing.
Moreover, the restricted corridor was currently under scrutiny, so it wasn't the right time to venture there.
Albert stuffed his unfinished homework into his bag, intending to head to the Room of Requirement to work. He also wanted to take Tom out for a walk to prevent him from lazing around in the room all day. Despite all the running around at Hogwarts, Tom didn't seem to be losing any weight, which was a bit bothersome to Albert.
As Albert prepared to leave with his homework, he ran into Fred and George, who had just returned from Quidditch practice.
"Wood couldn't find a suitable Seeker," the Weasley twins informed him.
"Wood wants you to be ready for the next practice. Make sure you're there," they added.
"The first week of the month isn't over yet!" Albert bent down to pick up Tom, then turned to the twins and said, "And when have you ever seen me lose?"
"Is he too confident?" Fred watched as Albert's figure disappeared from the entrance of the common room, then nudged George with his elbow.
"Speaking of which, Albert probably thinks Harry would make a good Seeker. But how could Harry possibly join the team in his first year?" George wondered aloud. "Don't forget, first-years aren't allowed to bring brooms to school, let alone join the Quidditch team."
Of course, being a reserve player was an option, just like they were.
Albert had no idea what Fred and George were talking about. He was too busy keeping an eye on Tom, who was dashing about happily after being cooped up for so long.
"You're really something, always causing me trouble," Albert muttered.
With a wave of his wand, Tom, who had been running on all fours, was suddenly flying towards him, meowing in terror.
By the time Tom landed in Albert's arms, he was trembling and refused to move. Flying was definitely not a pleasant experience for a cat.
"You're such a scaredy-cat!" Albert soothed, stroking Tom's head before putting him back on the ground and nudging him with his foot. But the timid cat just huddled there, so Albert ended up carrying him into the Room of Requirement.
It took a while for Tom to recover from his flying trauma, and it was only with the temptation of fish treats that he finally shook off his fear.
"Your cat?"
As Isabel walked into the Room of Requirement, her eyes immediately fell on Tom, who was playing with a ball of yarn on the floor. She bent down to get a better look at the chubby cat and asked curiously.
"His name is Tom," Albert replied.
"Hello, Tom!" Isabel greeted the cat. She could sense Tom's wariness towards her and refrained from petting him, though she really wanted to.
"How has your week been?" Albert put down his quill and looked up at the young woman sitting across from him with a smile.
"Busy. I've started preparing for my O.W.Ls, and I want to get good marks," Isabel said gently. "What about you?"
"Busy as well," Albert replied. "I'm either in class or rushing to get to class. I don't know how others manage to get through these three years of hectic studying." He beckoned for Tom to come over, then bent down to pick up the cat and place him on the table.
"If you're this busy, I can't imagine how the others are coping!" Isabel didn't quite believe Albert, knowing full well his capabilities. It was hard to imagine that he was struggling with his studies.
"I don't know. I recall Percy was a Prefect as well." Albert brought up the topic and smiled as he said to Isabel, "Congratulations! You're now a Ravenclaw Prefect."
"Mhm." Isabel didn't really care about this. She nodded lightly and said, "Being a Prefect has its perks, and it feels pretty nice."
"What kind of perks?"
Albert asked because he only knew about the private luxurious bathroom, and he wasn't too clear on the other perks.
"There's a very luxurious bathroom..."
"Bathroom? We can use this one if needed. The Room of Requirement can also transform into a very luxurious bathroom if necessary." Albert interrupted with a shake of his head.
"That's true." Isabel didn't mind Albert cutting her off, and she smiled as she said, "I was actually going to tell you its location."
"The door next to the statue of Absent-Minded Boris? I recall the password is 'Pineapple Fresh.'"
"You actually know about it, and have you been there before?"
"I haven't been there, but I know some secrets. I know more about the Hogwarts castle than you do." Albert wasn't really interested in these things.
"I believe that. I heard that your two red-haired friends know as many secret passages as Filch." Isabel had also heard about this.
"But is the Prefect's bathroom really luxurious?" Albert suddenly said, "When can we go check it out together?"
"Together? You mean the Prefect's bathroom?"
"Mhm."
Albert didn't look into Isabel's eyes to avoid having his thoughts seen through.
"If you want to... I guess it's fine." Isabel didn't mind at all.
Of course, this was just talk. For the two of them, even excessive flirting wasn't a big deal.
"When can we go together? I can't wait." Albert tried his best to put on a lustful expression, causing Isabel to giggle.
After a moment, Isabel composed herself and changed the topic, "Katrina isn't doing too well. She's too uptight. Can you help her out when you have time?"
"That's your sister."
"She's very stubborn in some ways." Isabel sighed helplessly, "Actually, this is a problem faced by those who choose to take all subjects. Usually, they have to overcome it themselves."
"Have you faced this before?"
"It took me two weeks to adapt. Speaking of which, you don't seem affected at all." Isabel didn't see any signs of fatigue on Albert, and using a Time-Turner to attend classes could sometimes be tiring, which was something that made her marvel.
"Because I'm a genius!" Albert said shamelessly.
"Yeah, yeah." Isabel humored him, not denying it. Her gaze fell on Tom by the side, and she couldn't help but ask, "Can I pet him?"
"Of course. But Tom isn't very friendly to strangers." Albert said as he took out a packet of fish treats from his pocket, "Just try to feed Tom some treats and build a good relationship with him, and he'll let you pet him."
As soon as the packet was opened, Tom pounced forward, but his head was gently pushed aside by Albert. Still, the cat desperately tried to get to the treats.
Isabel by the side watched this scene, laughing happily.
She reached out and took the fish treats from Albert's hand, offering them to Tom. She said to Albert, "I also wanted to keep a cat before, but my family situation didn't allow it. Doesn't your cat eat treats from strangers?"
"I taught him not to eat randomly."
As he spoke, Albert reached out and held Isabel's hand, bringing the fish treat to Tom's mouth. This time, the chubby cat cautiously moved closer and ate the treat, even licking Isabel's hand afterward.
"So cute!"
Isabel reached out to pet him, but Tom dodged her.
"If you interact with him a few more times, he won't reject you." Albert looked at Isabel and leaned closer. Just as their faces were about to touch, the sound of the door opening startled them.
Albert turned his head resentfully toward the person who entered, but of course, he knew who it was without having to guess.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
